Henrik Ibsen

General Information

• Born March 20, 1828, Died May 23, 1906• “Father of Modern Drama”• Held to be the greatest of Norwegian authors• One of the most important playwrights of all

time• Founder of modernism in theatre – realistic

drama

Victorian-era Plays

• Expected to be moral dramas• Noble protagonist against

dark forces• Expected to result in a

morally-appropriate conclusion – Goodness was to bring

happiness– Immorality was to bring pain

Ibsen’s Play Content• Were considered scandalous

to many of his era• Challenged Victorian values

– These family and societal values held sway in Europe

– To challenge them was considered immoral and outrageous

– Examined realities and facades

– Was a critical eye and free inquiry in to the conditions of life and issues of morality

Family and Youth

• Born in a well-to-do merchant family• Small port town of Skien, Norway• Descendant of oldest and most distinguished families

of Norway• Shortly after birth, his family fortune faltered– Mother turned to religion– Father turned to depression– Characters in his plays often mirror his parents– Themes often deal with issues of financial difficulty and

moral conflicts stemming from hidden secrets

Family and Youth

• At fifteen, he left home and moved to Grimstad– Became an apprentice pharmacist– Began writing plays

• In 1846, he fathered an illegitimate child with a servant– He rejected the child– Paid child support for 14 years but never met his son– Son ended up as a poor blacksmith

Youth

• Ibsen went to Christiania (Oslo), trying to go to the university– Blocked because of entrance exams– Cast off the idea– Concentrated on writing

• Catilina (1850)– First play– 22 years old– Not performed

Life and Writings

• Spent several years at Norwegian Theater in Bergen– 145 plays as a writer, director, and producer– None of his own– Practical experience in theater

Life and Writings

• Returned to Christiania in 1858– Became creative director of Kristiania’s National

Theater– Married Suzannah Thoresen• Child – Sigurd

– Couple was VERY poor• Left his wife and went to Italy

– Lived in self-imposed exile– Didn’t go back for 27 years

Life and Writings

• First Big Play– Brand (1865)

• Brought him critical acclaim and financial success

• With success, he began to introduce more of his own beliefs and judgments in his plays– Ex. Criticisizing blind acceptance of traditional roles of men

and women in Victorian marriage– Ex. Vernal disease; cheating husband and syphilitic son

• Even following ideals of morailty gave no protection– Fulfilling one’s duty rather than following one’s desires was

challenged

Legacy• Completely rewrote rules of drama with realism– We see in theatre to this day

• Challenging assumptions and directly speaking about issues– Makes play art rather than entertainment

• Played a major role in changes that happened across society– Victorian Age was on its last leg

• To be replaced by Modernism• socially progressive trend of thought, that affirms the power of human

beings to create, improve, and reshape their environment, with the aid of practical experimentation, scientific knowledge or technology

Death

• Died in Kristiania after a series of strokes• Nurse assured a visitor he was a little better– Ibsen stated, “On the contrary,” and died